When MediaSmarts conducted its focus groups with young Canadians, it heard quite a bit about the important role the Internet plays in their "exploring and learning about sexuality and relationships," the Canadian digital literacy organization says. But the authors write that the survey itself – of 5,000+ students in grades 4-11 – suggests that that role may be smaller than you'd think, with only … [Read more...] about Youth sexuality, romance & digital media in Canada: Study
Zooming in on social norms: Youth sexting study
The research on teen and young adult sexting is getting more granular. One of the more interesting findings in a new study at Drexel University indicated that social norms are clearly developing around the practice. Looking at frequency of youth sexting, the study – published in the academic journal Sexuality Research and Social Policy – found that, "though many respondents [undergraduates at "a … [Read more...] about Zooming in on social norms: Youth sexting study
Facebook’s new Slingshot aimed at Snapchat
There are no lurkers in the Slingshot app. It's Facebook's latest answer to users' interest in disappearing (often called "ephemeral") media and messages. What I mean by "no lurkers" is, as my ConnectSafely co-director Larry Magid explains, unlike Snapchat and Facebook's now defunct Poke, "in order to view someone’s photo or video, you have to send one back [in Slingshot] Facebook bills the app as … [Read more...] about Facebook’s new Slingshot aimed at Snapchat
Amazon’s Fire Phone could be a hot holiday item
Now there's a phone that puts the Amazon store and all that accompanying "retail therapy" right in people's pockets. It's a pretty slick looking little device, so here's fair warning to parents worried about kids getting caught up in consumer culture that you may see this on some wish lists. [Of course, this is not to say that Amazon.com with all its convenience isn't already in our pockets (and … [Read more...] about Amazon’s Fire Phone could be a hot holiday item
New from ConnectSafely: ‘A Parents’ Guide to Mobile Phones’
It's hard to know exactly how many kids and teens have mobile phones right now, but we do know that over a year ago more than a third (37%) of US 12-to-17-year-olds had smartphones, up from 23% in 2011, and a whopping 78% had some kind of mobile phone. That's from the Pew Internet Project, one of the best US sources on youth and tech. We also know that mobile phones are how young people access … [Read more...] about New from ConnectSafely: ‘A Parents’ Guide to Mobile Phones’